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Cane Toads: The Conquest

2010

1 hr 20 mins

The South American cane toad's unstoppable journey across the Australian continent has long been the focus of great controversy and bizarre fascination. The cane toad was introduced to Australia in 1935 in an attempt to...

The South American cane toad's unstoppable journey across the Australian continent has long been the focus of great controversy and bizarre fascination. The cane toad was introduced to Australia in 1935 in an attempt to control the greyback cane beetle. Unfortunately, the toads were disinclined eat the beetles. Instead, they set about doing what cane toads do best - multiplying, migrating and thriving.

75 years later, in a country equipped with unprecedented scientific capabilities and unabated public will to battle the invasion, it seems nothing will stop the march of the Toad. Science and genetic mutation have failed, so too has physical aggression. Fences and traps have proved ineffectual, as have natural predators and topographic barriers. No other species has occupied a nation's consciousness like the toad, which has achieved both criminal and cult status. Throughout history it has proven itself to be the ultimate survivor in the face of great adversity. It spreads, it grows, it devours.

Cane Toads: The Conquest explores the history, the science, the human conflict and the bizarre culture surrounding this notorious environmental blunder. Director Mark Lewis injects his trademark irreverence and humor into a story filled with engaging characters and incredible first hand accounts. This is a truly poignant environmental cautionary tale on the issue of invasive species and human folly. As the world wrestles with the idea that we have irretrievably altered our own ecosystem, these bulbous creatures may be the ultimate metaphor for the inevitable path upon which we have set ourselves.